Nickel and copper residues in meat from wild artiodactyls hunted with nickel-plated non-lead rifle bullets

A nickel (Ni)-plated copper-solid bullet type released up to 93 μg Ni /10 g bullet mass when immersed into meat juice for 7 days (to simulate fragments remaining in venison). A non-nickel-plated counterpart of identical construction released no Ni, but up to 250 μg copper. During thermal processing of pork cubes with embedded bullets, an average of 2.8 and up to 4.3 (maximum) μg Ni were released from the Ni-plated bullet to the surrounding meat. Average nickel and copper content in meat samples (taken in 2–3 cm distance from the shot wounds) from 30 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and 3 sika deer (Cervus nippon) killed with nickel-plated copper bullets did not differ significantly from those in controls (roe deer haunch). Contamination scenarios would Cu and Ni contents per portion increase moderately by 20 and 3.3 μg, respectively. In order to limit alimentary Ni uptake, the technological need for Ni-plating of bullets should be carefully evaluated.